Riding The QR Wave

As we fastly approach the 2012 election, we are beginning to be bombarded with campaign promises.  We know that President Obama was the first to use social media effectively to get elected in 2008.  We know that technology has advanced since 2008.  We have been told that unless you ride the wave of technology, you are doomed to being left behind.  With that said the new hot technology is QR codes.  They are black and white squares that hold information about the item that it is affixed to.  Some codes may have written information about the product and other codes may have videos.  There has been a ground swell about whether it will be used during this election cycle.  If a candidate is technologically savvy enough, s/he will be able to get his or her message to the masses through smartphones and tablets, by using QR codes.  S/he could attach the QR codes to leaflets and signs.  This technology would be cost effective and allow some of the smaller funded candidates to effectively compete with more well funded candidates.  Campaigns will never be the same.  Hurry, Hurry all candidates that are willing to take a chance on a new ride, come ride the QR Code Wave to election night success!!  QR Code + Elections = New Market Disruptor.

http://mashable.com/2011/09/22/qr-codes-election/

Marc Andreessen, New Market Disruptive Innovator

Marc Andreessen!  As I read the first two chapters of Wharton on Managing Emerging Technology, it opened my mind to a new way of thinking when it came to innovation and new technology.  The chapters discussed how existing companies have either dragged their feet and missed out or casually invested in new technologies.  The chapters discussed how small start ups were able to jump into a market and take risk that established companies would never imagine doing.  While the reading was fresh on my mind, I came across a program on Bloomberg TV, actually my grandmother did, I just happen to be along for the ride.  The program was called Game Changers and this particular episode was about Marc Andreessen.  If you are not aware of who Marc Andreessen is, he and some of his college buddies created the Mosaic Web Browser.  He laid the foundation for the browsers that we use today.  He had a vision, which he turned into reality.  His vision was to give everyone access to material that only a few had access to.  As with Palm, he took an existing technology and made it better.  Then he gave it away for free.  He took a risk and it paid off.  He was persistent, when one door closed, he went to Silicon Valley and reinvented the browser.  He became a disruptive innovator and as Wharton's put it, he ran circles around his larger incumbent competitors.  Marc's technology frightened MicroSoft and forced them to adjust their strategy in order to compete with him.  I will not rehash the story, I'll let you watch it for yourself.  But I will leave you with a final thought, what is the difference between us now and us where we want to be?  Fear of taking chances.  Fear of being fully invested in something that we believe can change the world.  Let's go be game changers.  Below is the link to the program.

http://www.bloomberg.com/video/67758394/

Cable Ala Carte

Today we had a discussion about disruptive innovation and creative workarounds.  The discussion led to looking into the cable business model, which is buying many channels, in a tier system.  The issue of Ala carte programming was raised.  A spirited discussion followed.  Tiered programming is the current system, where cable providers force customers to pay for channels that they do not need or want.  This thinking is akin to sticking with what is familiar and not taking the risk to get ahead of the field.  Ala Carte programming allows the customer the ability to pay for channels that they frequently watch.  Ala Carte is the new wave that all cable and satellite providers are trying to hold back.  The company argument is we are providing you with channels that keep your monthly bill low.  One may ask, how does this fit into emerging technology?  My answer, we have existing companies that are not willing to invest in future technology that may keep them relevant longer than Snooki from the Jersey Shore.  Why is it important?  Because I am paying for channels that I do not want.  A dilemma in my life was created. Tow the company line and push tiered service or look at my wallet and seek alternatives.  One leads to job security and the other leads to wealth security.  After much back and forth, job security won out and instead of creating alternatives to watching my favorite programs for free or pushing for ala carte programming.  In the immortal words of Chuck D, Fight The Power and check out the link below.  Shhhh, its like bootlegging cable.

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/113459/cable-tv-budget-friendly-alternatives-kiplinger